Zucchini Tart With Whipped Feta and Chives

Two things that are great to have on hand at anytime are puff pastry and whipped feta. Both are so perfect for last minute dinner parties or guests and can be topped with either savoury or sweet things. Both are so versatile and they also go extremely well together too! If you do have the time to make your own - that is awesome and I have a great recipe that I use when I have the time (which is almost never) here. If not than definitely feel free to use the store bought stuff! There is absolutely no shame in it.

There are plenty of zucchinis everywhere and although our garden is scant of them this year, our friends gardens are not and we have been veery happy recipients of large amounts of them from them. I decided to make a few recipes with all the zucchinis. This is one of three recipes I made. The first was zucchini fritters which are actually a childhood favourite of mine and are on the blog here. This tart was the second and the third is a ridiculously good dark and rich chocolate chunk zucchini bread that is going to be up on the blog soon. In the meantime let’s talk about this super easy and delicious tart of mine.

I chose small sweet tender zucchini for this tart because they shine in this recipe and you don’t want them overly mushy and you also want them to have some sweetness. I chose the multi-coloured ones for the visuals but definitely not required. Use whichever one you would like.

The whipped feta is pure heaven and it was quite difficult not to eat it by the spoonful as I scooped it out of the food processor. It’s creamy and it has the brininess of the feta with some coolness and slight tang from the cream cheese. It’s a delicious blend of the two, making the creamiest of spreads. I slather is on toast and eat it just like that but it’s great topped with tomatoes and even sliced peaches or roasted grapes. It’s also great in this tart. Make sure to make a double portion so you have enough for the tarts and more for slathering on toast or eating by the spoonful.

This tart bakes up quick and easy and will be loved by your family and whoever you serve it too. It’s great as an appetiser, a snack and we had them as a light dinner with a big salad on the side - cause what’s better than a dinner like that in the summer months? Enjoy!

Recipe

Makes two medium sized puff pastry tarts or one large one

Ingredients

1 (400g) Package Puff Pastry, thawed

Oil, for drizzling

2 small zucchinis (yellow and/or green), thinly sliced with a mandolin or carefully with a knife

2-3 tbsp minced chives/green onions plus more for garnish

Salt and pepper, to taste

Extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle (optional)

Whipped feta - recipe below

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F

Roll out both pieces of puff pastry (if they come separated otherwise cut it into two pieces) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin to approximately 8 X 10 inch rectangle.

Place them on a parchment lined baking sheets and trim the edges using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to get even edges.

Score a 1 inch (2.5 cm) border around the outside of the pastry with a pizza cutter or a sharp knife. Prick the centre of the pastry all over using a fork. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes until par-baked.

Then spread half of the whipped feta on one and half on the other evenly within the border.

Cover completely with zucchini slices and sprinkle with about one tablespoon of chives. Season with salt and black pepper.

Return to oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil

Whipped Feta

Ingredients

8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled and at room temperature

3 ounces whipped cream cheese, at room temperature

Directions

Place crumbled feta into a food processor and pulse until it’s small crumbs.

Next add the cream cheese and puree for 4-5 minutes, scraping down the sides when needed, until feta is super creamy. Will keep in the fridge covered for several days if you wanted to make ahead.